Fan construction



June 22, 1954 E. E. MIX

FAN CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 1, 1950 INVENTOR. Edward E Mix iz MMAfforney .UNITED STATES FAN CONSTRUCTION Edward E. Mix, Los Angeles,Calif.; Gail E. Mix, executor of said Edward E. Mix, deceasedApplication September 1, 1950, Serial No. 182,757

T 2:- OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention has to do with a fan construction and it is particularlyconcerned with a fan involving a spider of improved formation orconstruction. It is a general object of the present outer end of theshank portion provided to carry a blade. The blades carried by the armsmay vary in form or design as circumstances require, and they may befastened to the heads of the invention to provide a simple, practical,effective, arms in any suitable manner, as by riveting or structure thatis light and inexpensive and which the like. In accordance with thepresent invenis strong, durable and rigid. tion the sheet metal spiderhereinabove referred It is common and in many instances comto is soformed or shaped that it may be advanmercially desirable to form fansprimarily of tageously made of a thin body of sheet metal sheet metal,and this type of fan is commonly with the heads of the arms pitched orangularly formed with a hub, a spider on the huband blades related tosupport the blades in the desired manon the arms of the spider. When asheet metal ner. In accordance with the invention a central spider isemployed the entire fan construction stiffener is provided in the formof an annular may be more or less flexible and not as rigid as rib onthe central portion of the spider, condesired, in that the sheet metalarms of the spider centric with the axis of the fan, which ri'b can beare subject to flexure. advantageously pressed or formed in the sheet Itis a general object of the present invention metal in the course ofperforming other operato provide a fan construction employing a sheettions on the spider. Further, in accordance with metal blade-carryingspider, which spider is so the present invention the various edges oredge formed as to be light, stro g, and rigid. portions of the spidernot covered or occupied Another object of the invention is to provide byblades, are deflected somewhat from the gena fan spider Of the generalcharacter referred to eral plane of the spider or from the plane of thewhich is such that it can be easily and accurately Sp d portionsadjacent the edges- The fl d manufactured without resort to specialmanufacor turned edge portions which, in a typical case, turingoperations or processes. 95 extend along the edges of the arms andheads,

A further object of the present invention is and along the curved partsthat connect the edges to provide a stiff, light, strong fan spiderwhich of the arms, serve to materially stiffen and rein can be attachedto a hub through conventional fo e t e t e Spider 50 t e p dupconstruction and which may have blades attached Ports e a s om he hubWithout undesirto its arms in any desired manner. able flexibility. Byproviding the turned edge The fan construction provided by the presentinvention involves a hub which may be of conventional formation, aspider carried by the hub, and blades carried by the spider. The hub ispreferably a simple, elongate member with a n central shaft receivingopening, and it may have a reduced end portion concentric with the shaftopening and receiving the center of the spider. When this constructionis employed a flange is formed on the outer end of the reduced part ofthe hub to retain the spider on the hub. The spider is preferably ofsimple construction or formation and may be formed entirely of a singlebody of sheet metal so that it has a center portion carried by the huband arms radiating from the center portion. The center portion of thespider is preferably a fiat plate-like body with a central opening thatreceives the reduced part of the hub. The arms that project from thecenter portion are preferably radially disposed and are suitably spacedaround the axis of the structure. In a typical case each arm has a shankportion that adjoins the center portion and projects radially therefromand has a head which is in the nature of an enlargement on the portionsat opposite edges of the blade where it attaches to the head, the bladeis efficiently braced and held in position on the head.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of a typicalpreferred form and application of the invention, throughout whichdescription reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end or face view of a fan embodying the present invention.Fig. 2 is an edge or side view of the fan, being a View taken. asindicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailedsectional View taken as indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is adetailed transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4 onFig. 3.

The fan construction as illustrated in the drawings involves, generally,a hub A, a spider B, and blades C connected to the spider by fasteningmeans E.

The hub A illustrated in the drawings is of simple form, being anelongate block round in cross section and provided with a centrallongitudinal shaft openin it. The hub is provided with a set screw I Ithat serves to retain the hub on the shaft when it is applied thereto.

The spider B is applied to or carried by the hub A and in turn supportsthe blades C. In any particular case the specific formation of thespider may be varied, depending upon the nature of the blades or thenumber of blades. In a typical case, as is shown in the drawings, thereare three equally spaced blades C, in which case the spider B is formedwith a central portion it which is applied to the hub A and with armshaving shanks l6 that project from the portion l and have enlargementsor heads ll at their outer ends to carry the blades. The spider in itsreferred form is a single or unitary body'of sheet metal and the centralportion of the 'sp'ideris a fiat plate-like part suitably joined to thehub A, for

instance, to one end thereof. In the case illustrated the hub has areduced spider receiving part or neck [8 at one end and the. portion 15of the spider has an opening it into which the hub neck it is entered. Aflange so formed on the outer end of neck 25 overlies the portion i5 ofthe spider to retain the spider on the end of the hub.

In the preferred form of the invention the shanks it of the spider armsare equally spaced around the central part it and project radiallytherefrom, the several shanks bein alike and of substantiallyuniformwvidth from the point where they join the portion 55 to thepoints where the heads i? occur. The heads ll provided on or projectingfrom the outer ends of the shanks it are like and in the caseillustrated each is in the nature of an enlargement on the outer end ofthe shank conforming in general shape to the inner end or base portion253 of blade C. The shanks it of the spider arms, and possibly all orportions of the heads ii, are twisted or pitched relative to a plane orplanes normal to the longitudinal axis of the structure so that theblades C are supported in the desired manner to give them a suitablepitch. In a typical situation the heads ll maybe fiat to receive fiatbase portions of the blades, in which case the entire pitch is gained byshaping or twisting the shanks between the points where they join thecentral portion l5 and where the heads i? connect to them.

The fastening means E is provided for securing the base portions 2c ofthe blades to the heads ll may vary widely. In the case illustrated aplurality of simple rivets 25 are shown securing each base portion tilto its supporting head ll and in the particular case illustrated eachbase portion has an inwardly projecting extension 2% that overlies apart of the shank that carries the blade sup-porting head and a rivetjoins this, extension to the said shank.

The present invention provides a construction or formation which servesto effectively strengthen and lend rigidity to the spider, as abovedescribed, to the end that the spider may be made of light sheet metaland yet have maximum strength and rigidity. In the preferred form of theinvention the central portion A5 of the spider is materiallystrengthened and is made rigid by providing an annular rib 38 on theportionit concentric with the axis of the fan. In the case illustratedthe rib is pressed or stamped into the central portion is so that itprovides an indentation at one side of the portion :5 and a boss-likehump at the opposite side. In addition to the central embossed rib 3cthe spider is stiffened and reinforced by turned edge portions 35 thatoccur at the several exposed edges of the sheet out of which the spideris formed and make the shanks and heads substantially concavo-convex incross sectional configuration. In

' the particular case illustrated there are opposite edge portions 35 ateither side of each shank l6 and headL ll of the spider and these sideedge portions are joined by curved edge portions 35 that connect theside ed e portions where the side edge portions adjoin the centra1portion [5. The edge portions 35 and'35 are turned or deflected toextend at an angle relative to the plane or planes of the spider partsfrom which the edge portions project, and in the particular caseillustrated the edge portions are bent or deflected along lines 56 thatparallel the extreme edges of the'spider and are spaced inwardly asuitable distance therefrom. In the preferred form of the invention theturned or deflected edge portions of the spider are continuous anduniform, as shown throughout the drawings, and they terminate at theouter ends of the heads. Where the shanks it are twisted or pitched togive the desired angle to the blades C as shown throughout the drawingsthe turned or deflected edge portions of the spider continue and followthe contour of the The reinforcements that I have provided canbe'provided or incorporated in the spider in the course of flanking orforming operations such as are required to form a sheet metal spiderwith a central portion and projecting arms.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of myinvention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specificdetails herein set forth, but Wish to reserve to myself any variationsor modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art andfall'vvithin the scope of the following claims.-

l-laving described my invention, I claim:

1. A fan including, a rigid hub, a sheet metal spider carried by the huband having a substantially flat center portion fixed to the hub,substantially fiat circumferentially spaced shanks radiating from thecenter portion and heads'on the outer ends of the shanks and projectingbeyond the edges thereof, and like separate blades attached to andprojecting from the heads, the center portion of the spider having anannular stiffening rib projecting from one side thereof and the shankshaving substantially flat middle portions and substantially flat edgeportions in planes inclined relative to the planes of the middleportions, the edge portions at adjacent edges of adjoining shanks beingjoined together.

2. A fan including, a rigid tubular hub, a sheet metal spider carried bythe hub and having a substantially flat center. portion fixed to thehub, circumferentially spaced shanks radiating from the center portionand substantially flat heads on the outer ends of the shanks andprojecting therefrom, and like separate blades attached to andprojecting from. theheads, the center por tion of the spider having anannular stiffening rib concentric therewithand projecting from-one sidethereof and the shanks having substantially fiat middle portions andsubstantially flat edge portions in planes inclined relative to theplanes of the middle portions, the edge portions at adjacent edges ofadjoining shanks being joined together, the blades having extensionsoverlapping and attached to the shanks and confined between the edgeportions thereof and each of the heads having edge portions projectingfrom one side thereof and the blade carried by the head being attachedto that side thereof and being guided by and between the said edgeportions thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberNumber Number 15 419,867

Name Date Pickett Oct. 17, 1916 Schultz June 21, 1921 Cram May 19, 1931Campbell Aug. 11, 1931 Zaiger Feb. 1, 1938 Johnson Oct. 11, 1938 KochDec. 13, 1938 Lefiar Aug. 5, 1941 Upson Apr. 27, 1943 Odor Feb. 8, 1949FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Nov. 7, 1910

